Chapter Text
The semester had just ended. She was finally done with her Master's degree. And Kira couldn't have been more relieved. She did enjoy studying, but if it had been up to her, she would've stopped after her bachelor's. However, Mommy and Daddy paid for her classes and refused to let her settle for only a bachelor's degree when she was expected to help with the family company.
But for now, she was simply enjoying her summer break. And just like every year, the Timurovs would spend their entire summer at the lake house.
Kira, 23 years old, had decided to drive straight from her final exam to the vacation home, not particularly wanting to travel with her family. Their family home in Vancouver was already far enough from their secondary residence. The Timurovs were swimming in wealth, all thanks to Arkadi, Kira's father. He was a cold and imposing man who held extremely high expectations for his daughters. He was a man of few words, and those words were never very kind. The Timurov sisters had grown up knowing that to survive in their family, they had to completely submit to their parents' wishes—and do so without complaint. Their life goal: don't disappoint or shame their father.
Kira and Riri, her sister, shared a unique kind of relationship, if you could call it that. Kira, being the eldest, had survived their father longer, and yet Riri seemed to handle it better. She was the favorite. And the eldest knew exactly why. Kira's mother had left. She had grown tired of Arkadi's toxic control over her. And like an unfit mother, she abandoned her two-year-old daughter—her defenseless child—in the hands of that monster. Her father remarried a few months later to a woman just as diabolical as he was. And from their union, Riri was born. One would've thought that these two devils would produce a child as wicked as themselves. But Riri was a tiny, fragile thing who wouldn't hurt a fly. The family pressure even cost her her voice during childhood. She refused to speak to anyone for three whole years. And Kira knew just how convenient that had been for her parents. A docile, silent child. She would never betray them. That's why Kira made it her mission. She promised to always protect her sister—the one person in the world who would truly know her without a filter. It was to Kira that Riri finally dared to speak her first words. Even today, Riri didn't talk much. But when she was alone with Kira, it all became much easier, much more natural.
A part of Kira wanted to protect her sister. That part loved her with all her heart. But another part resented how easily and willingly Riri responded to all their father's demands. She resented her for being the favorite, which only made her angrier. Because Kira didn't love her father. She didn't want to follow his orders to the letter. Still, she couldn't erase that need for approval. She wasn't as strong as her mother. She knew she would probably never find the courage to stand up to Arkadi, let alone run away.
The young woman finally arrived at the vacation house. The large estate was imposing, surrounded by a thick, silent forest. The front of the house faced a long stone path, ending in a tall metal gate. A fountain in the center of the parking area gave the driveway a circular shape. Kira stopped in front of the entrance and turned off the engine. Her white Audi fell silent, and the car's interior lights came on. Fatigue finally caught up with her. Her long exam day and the hours of driving had drained her completely. She let out a yawn as she leaned into the back seat to grab her bags.
Stepping out of the car, her ears welcomed the calm. Silence. Only the sound of crickets disturbed the complete stillness. A wave of nostalgia washed over her. She loved coming to the lake house in the summer. It was the only time of year when her father wasn't constantly on her back, telling her what to do, what to eat, and how much exercise she needed to stay in shape.
She locked her car and made her way to the front door. She entered her personal code on the smart handle and pushed the door open. Everything was quiet, clean, and cloaked in shadows. Like the seasoned guest she was, her finger instinctively found the light switch, and the room lit up. The large bay window stood across from her, and suddenly, the living room, the kitchen, and her father's office came into view.
"Home sweet home," Kira whispered to no one but herself.
Her steps, heavy with exhaustion, led her to her bedroom. Unlike Riri's and their parents' rooms, hers was on the ground floor, offering her a large, bright space with a sliding glass door that gave direct access to the path leading to the lake. The room was spacious, filled with light, and tidy. Her large king-size bed was made, and the maid who maintained the house during their absence had continued spraying her perfume throughout the suite, keeping its familiar and comforting scent.
She dropped her bags in front of her walk-in closet and undressed. She badly needed a shower. So she laid out her pajamas—a black satin set with lace-trimmed camisole and shorts—then washed herself. Her slender fingers massaged her scalp, making her sigh in contentment. The hot water helped her muscles, tense from end-of-semester stress, finally relax.
Once she was clean, her body lotion applied, her perfume spritzed, her hair brushed, and her pajamas on, she headed outside. A large stone firepit sat at the top of the hill overlooking the lake. The young woman wrapped herself in a large warm blanket and lit the propane fire, which immediately warmed her up.
This moment of solitude, where she had no rules to follow and no one watching her every move, finally allowed her to relax—without the perfect Timurov mask. Her pale blue eyes watched the flames dance before her, and her ears listened to the melody sung by the animals and insects in the woods.
If only her life could be like this moment—it would be so easy, so wonderful.
Her attention drifted to the large house facing theirs, on the other side of the lake. The parallel house was built of solid wood painted pale blue. Its windows were tall and classic, framed in white. Once, an old man had lived there. Kira, Riri, Suki, Chad, Dori, Runa, and Mary—all children back then—used to scare each other by saying the house was haunted, claiming its owner had died inside. They dared each other to swim across the lake or row a boat over to check for trapped ghosts. And since then, the house had remained abandoned, or so said the other families who lived around the lake.
Kira wondered if Suki, Chad, Dori, Runa, and Mary would be spending their summer vacation at their houses too. They didn't all live in the same area, which meant they couldn't see each other outside of summer break. They were childhood friends, and the Timurov sisters loved reuniting with them during the hot months from June to the end of August. And so far, they had never missed a summer. But now they were adults, and their lives were different. So maybe... they wouldn't come this year?
Her eyes drifted from the supposedly abandoned house to the starry sky. She could finally breathe. As if her lungs had, at last, been allowed to take in fresh air after months of holding it in.
Let the vacation begin.